Not long ago, finding a monthly stall in the core was next to impossible, with vacancy rates hovering under one per cent and those lucky enough to find a 2.5-metre by five-metre plot forking over several hundred dollars every month for the privilege.

But as energy companies reduce staff and look to curb expenses, acres of empty asphalt dot parking structures once packed wall-to-wall with vehicles.

“We’re in a bit of survival mode right now — we’re trying to keep our heads above water,” said Chad Ramsay, general manager of Indigo Park, the newly branded company that was formerly Vinci Parking and WestPark.

Julian Jones with Impark, which along with Indigo holds most of Calgary’s parking inventory, said his company is also experiencing lean times, estimating a seven per cent drop in monthly demand compared with the same time last year.

“We haven’t made any wholesale rate changes — we’re always adjusting things but we haven’t made any dramatic changes,” he said.

“It’s kind of business as usual.”

However, Jones noted Impark is closely monitoring Calgary’s economic climate and will make adjustments if needed.

“Parking is one of the first indicators of changes in employment,” he said.

“We’re always able to make adjustments.”

Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, said the parking purge is just one of the latest signs of a city trying to weather a major economic storm.

But, despite the gloom, Schofield said there is somewhat of a silver lining in the city’s slumping parking industry.

“Someone looking to start a business can probably negotiate some pretty good terms right now,” she said.

The city-owned Calgary Parking Authority, which owns about one-fifth of the city’s parking inventory, has also had to make adjustments.

Earlier this year, the agency froze parking rates for surface lots and parkades, as well as on the street.

But seeing dwindling numbers at the James Short parkade, kitty corner from the Bow Building, prompted the authority to reduce the monthly parking rate by $50, which can now be had for $445 plus GST.

General manager Mike Derbyshire said city policy for the parking authority only allows sweeping rate changes once per year, but because it is mandated to keep prices about 80 per cent of that of its private competitors, they can adjust on the fly.

“Under the policy, we are allowed to be market sensitive,” he said.

“All our rates are based around what our competitors are doing.”

But even with generally lower prices and an annual dividend that goes back to reduce taxpayer burden, Derbyshire said the agency has been affected by Calgary’s economic swoon.

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